


The Trial That Changed History

by lordMartiya



Category: La Seine no Hoshi, Versailles no Bara | Rose of Versailles
Genre: Other, War, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-12 14:29:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5669365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordMartiya/pseuds/lordMartiya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jeanne tries to frame the Queen for the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Oscar replies in a way that will change the course of history.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Trial of Jeanne Valois

This is the result of reading the _Rose of Versailles_ (or _Lady Oscar_ , depending where you live) manga and checking on Wikipedia the life of Oscar's father (an historical character). By the way, Jean-Antoine Pierre Marie Victor de Reynier actually existed.

by lord Martiya

 

 

_**The Trial of Jeanne Valois** _

 

 

That day I, Jeanne de la Motte _nee_ de Valois de Saint-Remy, was in trouble. Or to say it the right way, _exceptionnellement_ _en merde_. My theft of that diamond necklace had been discovered before I could cut all the loose ends and run, leading to my arrest and trial, and Nicole d'Olivia, the one loose end I had failed to cut, had just ruined her attempt at making a scapegoat out of Rohan with her very presence.

To try and escape my fate, or at least become a martyr, I had accused the Queen of being the real culprit and presented her as a lesbian, with herself, the Duchess of Polignac and that Oscar François de Jarjayes as her lovers. And would avenge my mother, murdered by the Duchess of Polignac. Still, I was a bit displeased for Oscar: she had taken care of my beloved sister Rosalie, saving her from God knows what horrible fate (a knife in the gut or the wheel if she was lucky), but as a crossdresser she was just too obvious of a target. And her protest would serve to cement my claims in the eyes of the people. I counted down to it in my mind, and Oscar did not disappoint me.

"Don't blame Her Majesty for my father's obsession!"

And my plan fell apart due to sheer surprise.

"Wait, what?" I cried.

"My father is obsessed about having a male heir!" the furious Oscar replied. "He had already forced my oldest sister Jean-Antoine to dress and act as a man, and when she died before my birth I took her place! Everyone knows it at Versailles!"

I looked at the many Versailles-allowed nobles present, and all of them nodded (with some snickering). Even Rohan, the one _prince étranger_ who didn't know that Royals sign with only their given names, was nodding.

"You have to be shitting me... My masterpiece in the art of lying and the way to frame that Austrian cow for this ruined by a male heir-obsessed count..." I thought. Then I noticed how everyone (even the people) was looking at me, and realized what had happened: "I said it out loud, didn't I?"

"Yes." the president of the Parliament replied. I facepalmed. "Colonel Oscar, the public is forbidden to intervene, please keep it in mind. Now, madame de la Motte, shall you finally tell us the truth?"

"It's a LONG story..."

"Take your time."

"Also, I'm not sure about parts of it, I've reconstructed them with information I found after sneaking my husband into Versailles thanks to the Cardinal's love for acting without thinking."

I said _everything_. I started from my father, count Jacques de Valois de Saint-Remy, having me from his servant Nicole Lamoriere, who was forced to move to Paris with the count's other illegitimate daughter Rosalie after he wasted his entire fortune. I then said how I was taken in by madame de Boulainvilliers and falsified her last wills after her death (omitting how my role in said death), and how I got my husband and willing accomplice Nicolas de la Motte into the Gards du Corps and found out from him about Jacques and Marie-Anne, the two _legitimate_ and equally desperate children of the count that I've never managed to meet (Jacques being a soldier serving in Africa and Marie-Anne a nun in a convent I failed to locate). I countinued with Rosalie, who had been taken in by the count of Jarjayes thanks to his wife and younger daughter's intercession (Rosalie had been reticent on saying how she met them), telling me how our mother had died after being ran over by the carriage of the duchess (then countess) of Polignac, and that her actual mother was a noblewoman named Martin Gabrielle. I continued with my investigations, finding out that the full name of the _only_ Martin Gabrielle at Saint-Remy at the right time to have Rosalie from the debauched count was Yolande Martin Gabrielle de Polastron, and my _refusal_ to check if the Duchess of Polignac had a cousin with her same name.

I then started the juicy part: my heists in general and how I cheated a crapload of money from Rohan using the fake letters from the queen and Nicole d'Olivia. I told everything, including how the swine tried to seduce me (and his failure: not only I had made a point to not cheat on Nicolas, but I had heard that Rohan wasn't exactly skilled in the bed), and how I successfully stole the diamond necklace, only failing to run in time.

“Then I lied my ass off in the attempt to get away with a slap on the wrist or at least become a martyr for liberty, and you know the rest.” I concluded.

“I see.” the president stated coolly. “Madame de la Motte, I still have a few questions. Have you ever met Her Majesty the Queen?”

“Saw her from distance once.”

“Does Alessandro of Cagliostro have any role in this heist?”

“You think I'm stupid enough to let that swine near me?!”

After that, the Parliament delibered on the case. Louis René Édouard de Rohan, prince of Rohan-Guéméné and Archbishop of Strasbourg, was aquitted with the justification that idiocy is not a crime, and kicked in an abbey by the King (he may be too nice for his own good, but you can't touch his wife and hope to get away with that). Cagliostro was aquitted for not being involved in the facts in any illegal way, and told by a medic that French air could damage his lungs (heard he's in London too, now). Rétaux de Villette, my accomplice and material author of the forged letters, was exiled to Italy. Nicolas was sentenced to life in prison as soon as he was arrested (not that I told them where I sent him). And I was sentenced to life in the Salpêtrière, the prison for whores. I stayed there one full day before Oscar herself came and brought me to a convent in Auxonne, the Queen's pay for opening her eyes about her own naivety. Now I'm serving my sentence there. Who knows what will happen...


	2. The Thoughts of Marie Antoinette

Second chapter, with Marie Antoinette's reaction to what she learned. And before you ask: I'm basing this on actual history (I'm an history junkie) and the manga version of _Rose of Versailles_ (I read it all, including the gaiden episodes and the sequel _Eikou no Napoleon-Eroica_ ). If you only watched the anime, you'll find a few differences (for example, there will be no Saint-Just for a while because he's still in high school writing a satirical poem that Oscar read for the porn scenes).

by lord Martiya

 

 

_**The Thoughts of Marie Antoinette** _

 

 

I, Marie Antoinette, cannot believe it. During her trial, Jeanne Valois accused my dear friend the Duchess of Polignac of having Rosalie Lamoriere as illegitimate daughter and murdering the woman she entrusted Rosalie with. Worse, both her and Oscar _confirmed_. Not completely, as apparently it was an accident, but the Duchess ran Nicole Lamoriere over with a carriage and then ran, without even trying to save her victim or even see her face!

I understand that, differently than at Mother's court, having a lover and not keeping the relationship platonic is normal for French nobles, and could not fault her for panicking when she had a daughter at such a young age with so little money in both families, but that murder... That murder... No, I cannot understand and I must fault her.

I shall cast her from her position of Governess to the Children of France, and cease favouring her family. But who can I trust to replace her? Marie Louise, the Princess of Lamballe, is already the Superintendent to the Queen's Household, the Princess of Guéméné had to resign last year due a scandal and her brother-in-law's foolishness will only make her more reluctant, Oscar could never accept...

Oscar... She who would never accuse anyone without evidence, and did not reveal Rosalie's true parentage because of that... I must ask her advice. Not only on who will be the new Governess, but on many things.

* * *

 

"I need your honest advice, Oscar." I tell her as she arrives. "Tell me, what does the people _really_ think of me?"

Oscar sighs. It's not a good sign.

"The people is starving, and is blaming you for everything. They see that the economic crisis has only worsened during your husband's reign, and rightly blame the money wasted in Versailles for it."

Translated: they hate me, and have some reason. But she isn't finished.

"They forgot how much madame du Barry wasted before she was exiled from Versailles, and are starting to believe wild rumours involving you with a phrase about having people without bread buying brioche, and some even say your son the Duke of Normandy is your child with Fersen-"

I really have to thank my ability to escape from my tutors at Vienna, or I wouldn't have known the words to express my outrage.

"How can I reconquer their love? How my husband and I can help them?"

"Returning to the main palace would be a start. I understand you need to escape pressure, but you can't stay here constantly. Also, we'll need to stop the crisis and stop the abuses of some nobles toward the people."

"Can you suggest me some names?"

"My Queen?"

"You always valued honesty and ability over everything. I can trust you to find the right people, if you don't already know them."

She already has two names. The first was Charles Alexandre, vicomte de Calonne: he has recently redeemed himself from his previous spendthrift policies and knows economics better than most nobles, and could make a magnificent Controller-General of Finances. I know my husband was already considering him, with Oscar's backing he'll have the job. The second is Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (seriously, what's with Frenchmen and these long names?!): a young lawyer from Arras, he's an advocate of the poors, incorruptible, honest to a faul and more knowledgeble than Oscar about the laws and the problems of the people, he'll make a fine advisor.

Now I must thank Jeanne. She may be a criminal, but she opened my eyes, and possibly saved France. And I must return to my search. Who can I trust with my children?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marie Antoinette is both easy and difficult to write. On one side, she's a woman in love trapped in a nearly loveless marriage by duty, on the other she's a woman with the natural talent but not the knowledge to be a great queen. Each side is easy to write, but both together... For now I got away by keeping Fersen away (he's a regimental commander, he can't be with Marie Antoinette all the time), I hope I'll be able to write her well when I can't avoid having Fersen around.  
> About that infamous phrase about bread and brioche... The anedocte first appeared in a book written in 1765 (even if published in 1782), when Marie Antoinette was still in Austria and NINE.

**Author's Note:**

> When I discovered that the historical Count of Jarjayes actually pulled an Oscar with his firstborn daughter I just had to write a story where Oscar replied to Jeanne's slander in a different way. It was to be a one-shot in my Deleted Scenes series on FF.Net , but now I ' ve started for a story detailing how history changed. Stay tuned.


End file.
